Funds Now Available for Canadians to Sponsor Hundreds of Refugees in 2019

Saturday, 04 May 2019 04:36.PM

- Special initiative brings together sponsors & funders to resettle UNHCR referred refugees to Canada.

(The Refugee Hub) - The University of Ottawa Refugee Hub is delighted to announce the renewal of its successful 2018 BVOR Fund. The new time-limited fund will facilitate the sponsorship to Canada of refugees identified by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Seeded by two of last year's lead donors - The Shapiro Foundation and G. Barrie Landry - the goal of the 2019 BVOR Fund will once again be to grow participation in sponsorship and maximize the number of refugee resettlement spaces being utilized.

Beginning today, qualifying Canadian groups can apply to have their portion of the settlement costs associated with sponsoring a refugee through the Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) program fully covered by the fund. Groups will remain responsible for securing funding or in-kind donations to cover start-up costs such as clothing and furniture.

In addition, qualifying Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) will, for the first time, be able to apply for funds to help with the administrative costs associated with supporting increased BVOR sponsorships.

The 2019 BVOR Fund is also encouraging others to join our partnership through small and large donations. Those who cannot sponsor but are interested in directly supporting both refugees and the neighbours that welcome them, are encouraged to contribute.

A similar fund was created in 2018 with the generous financial support of The Shapiro Foundation, The Giustra Foundation, G. Barrie Landry and other donors. In 2018, the fund supported 150 groups in 49 Canadian communities, who together sponsored over 650 refugees.

The Government of Canada has approved 1,650 refugee protection spaces under the BVOR program for 2019. Currently, there are over 1,000 spaces yet to be matched for arrival in 2019. Under this program, the UNHCR identifies refugees to come to Canada, and the Canadian government and sponsor groups share settlement costs.

All refugees sponsored to Canada undergo rigorous security, legal and health checks. Once they arrive in Canada, they are welcomed and supported by their sponsor group for a minimum of one year.

Applications for sponsorship funding and SAH funding will be accepted until August 31, 2019, or until the 2019 BVOR Fund is exhausted.

Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program
The Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) Program matches refugees identified for resettlement by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) with private sponsors in Canada.

- The UNHCR identifies the refugees.
- The Government of Canada gives up to six months of income support.
- Private sponsors give another six months of financial support. They also give up to a year of social and emotional support.